One of the most interesting stories of rural regeneration I heard was told me by a blind man who had become headman of his village at the time of the war with Russia.  His life had been indecorous and he had gradually lost his sight, and he took the headmanship with the wish to make some atonement for his careless years.  This is his story: 

“Although I thought it important to advance the economic condition of the village it was still more important to promote friendship.  As the interests of landowners and tenants was the same it was necessary to bring about an understanding.  I began by asking landowners to contribute a proportion of the crops to make a fund.  I was blamed by only fourteen out of two hundred.  But the landowners who did blame me blamed me severely, so much so that my family[183] were uneasy.  I went from door to door with a bag collecting rice as the priests do.  My eccentric behaviour was reported in the papers.  The anxiety of my household and relatives grew.  My children were told at the school that their father was a beggar.  During the first harvest in which I collected I gathered about 40 koku (about 200 bushels).  In the fourth year a hundred tenants came in a deputation to me.  They said:  ’This gathering of rice is for our benefit.  But you gather from the landowners only.  So please let us contribute every year.  Some of us will collect among ourselves and bring the rice to you, so giving you no trouble.’  I was very pleased with that.  But I did not express my pleasure.  I scolded them.  I said:  ’Your plan is good but you think only of yourselves.  You do not give the landowners their due.  When you bring your rent to them you choose inferior rice.  It is a bad custom.’  I advised them to treat their landowners with justice and achieve independence in the relation of tenant and landowner.  They were moved by my earnestness.

“In the next year the tenants exerted themselves and the landowners were pleased with them.  Thus the relation of landlord and tenant became better.  The landowners in their turn became desirous of showing a friendly feeling toward the tenants.  Some landlords came to me and said, ’If you wish for any money in order to be of service to the tenants we will lend it to you without interest.’  I received some money.  I lent money to tenants to buy manure and cattle, to attack insect pests, to provide protection against wind and flood and to help to build new dwellings nearer their work.  By these means the tenants were encouraged and their welfare was promoted.  The landlords were also happier, for the rice was better and the land improved.  The landlords found that their happiness came from the tenants.  There was good feeling between them.  The landlords began to help the tenants directly and indirectly.  Roads and bridges and many aids to cultivation were furnished by the landlords.  A body of landlords was constituted for these purposes and it collected money.  My idea was realised that the way of teaching the villages is to let landlords and tenants realise that their interests agree and they will become more friendly.”